'Don't touch anything.' A security man pulled the diplomat aside, and the paramedics moved in.

'What did you say to him?' General Berkley took hold of Doc by his jacket lapels.

'I think what we were discussing is fairly obvious, John.' Doc brushed away the General's hold on him.

'He just couldn't handle the pressure ... can you?'

Doc walked away, leaving the General to stew over what he knew. On the outside, Doc was weeping for the loss of his dear friend for whom there was barely a dry eye in the room. He paused at the doorway, looking back at the paramedics who were unable to help their fallen leader. But all the King's horses and all the King's men, couldn't put Langford together again. On the inside, Cadwaladr smiled broadly.

Tory, Brian and Rhun had already left for Taiwan when the news about the Alaskan bombing and the President's subsequent suicide was announced on the television.

Those left in Floyd's control room at Watarrka sat gaping with awe as their crewmates' prophecies manifested before their eyes.

'I saw this,' Jenny gasped, and then burst into tears.

'It's okay, Mum.' Nick placed a comforting arm around her, believing it was what had come to pass that had upset her. In reality, it was what had yet to happen that she feared.

As was to be expected, the ICA were the centre of media attention. The news broadcast crossed to a live press conference Doc had called in Washington.

'There's Rhiannon.' Ray noticed her standing on the sidelines with the rest of Doc's team. She didn't look like she was under restraint. On the contrary, she appeared to be fitting right in. 'There it is ...' He spotted the bracelet she wore on her right wrist and got up out of his seat to see if he could get a closer look.

There were protests from the others for Ray to stop blocking the screen. 'Hey, isn't that Walter Cadfan?' He pointed to the gentleman standing beside Rhiannon.

'If you'd kindly get out of the way, I'll tell you,'

Noah jeered and Ray moved. 'Yes, it is Cadfan,' the reporter was surprised to note. 'What is he doing there?'

They did not have to wait long for an answer. After Doc had said his piece in regard to the Unken retaliation and the suicide of his dear friend, President Langford, he invited Cadfan up on stage. The diplomat stated how Walter had foreseen the disastrous events that had unfolded in the past few days, and he proposed that the world might do well to pay heed to what Cadfan had to say from here on in.

The renowned healer and prophet took the stage, and as he raised his right hand to wave to the television cameras Ray freaked.

'Cadfan's wearing a module too!'

'Shit!' Noah sprang from his seat to join Ray, hovering close to the picture. 'He's right. It's identical to the modules that Doc's team are wearing.'

Jenny started to whimper again, and trembled as she stared at the screen in horror. 'I saw this ...' she managed to stammer once more before Floyd realised what had Jen so distressed.

'They're going to assassinate Walter Cadfan.' Floyd remembered what Tory had said.

'But he's one of the Chosen, isn't he?' Ray queried, hesitant to consider what Doc's plan might be for the well-respected psychic.

'Exactly!' Noah sprang up, consumed by an unexpected insight. 'And what do you get when you mortally wound a man on national television and he comes back to life?'

'A Messiah!' They all guessed the punch line. 'And Doc's controlling him.' The notion was not an attractive one.

'There must be something we can do?' Naomi urged them all to think harder, though with their main task force absent their options were limited.

The sniper's bullet startled them, as every person in the room had been anticipating the sound. The close-range shot split Cadfan's skull, taking the top of his head clean off. They watched in horror as his body crumpled to the floor. There was no question that the strike had not been fatal.

'I can't believe they're still transmitting.' Naomi felt as if she might be sick, but was too distraught to move.

'Doc would have arranged it that way,' Ray said softly. 'He'll want the whole world to witness the resurrection of his new and greatest puppet.'

Thrown into complete disarray, the members of the press suddenly hushed and were shown to be looking in amazement at the stage.

'Oh god, they're sick.' Naomi turned away as the camera came to focus on Walter's mutilated remains.

'No, Naomi, look!' Noah urged, riveted to the transmission. 'He's reconstituting.'

It was true. The splattered pieces of Cadfan's head were slowly sliding their way back to rejoin the rest of his form. No sooner had his splintered skull repaired itself than veins, nerves, muscles and skin enfolded it.

When every fragment of his person was restored not one drop of Cadfan's blood remained on the stage. As his eyes opened, all those who witnessed the miracle were frozen to the spot in complete astonishment and disbelief. The fallen prophet raised himself up to a seated position, still dazed by his ordeal, when the crowd broke into a round of applause. In a heartbeat, Cadfan was surrounded by reporters firing questions at him. Was he an alien? A vampire?

'Are you the Messiah?' One reporter cut right to the chase.

Cadfan shrank away from the crowd, unable to respond. Doc barged into the middle of the scuffle to retrieve his grandfather.

'For heavens' sakes, man.' Doc wrenched the reporter who'd asked the pertinent question out of the way. 'After what we all just witnessed, do you really need to ask?' The diplomat guided Walter Cadfan away from the commotion with the aid of his security team.

The media went into a frenzy. Journalists started madly whipping mobile phones out of pockets and bags and dialling their editors. Many rushed off to meet deadlines.

With a box full of NERGUZ modules for Ray to dissect, Tory, Rhun and Brian returned home in good spirits.

They had also succeeded in releasing a nasty virus into Radtec Trading's mainframe computer. This would slow production of the modules, for a while at least. They could have destroyed the plant, but they knew Doc would only relocate the enterprise elsewhere and would probably capitalise on the propaganda value. And there seemed little point in defeating their enemy if it meant using the same assault tactics they were supposedly rebelling against. An eye for an eye didn't figure in Tory's book, but neither did turn the other cheek.

Cadwaladr had lessons to learn in this life, too, and she was just the person to teach them to him. Tory had decided this before she'd even returned to Watarrka, and at that stage she didn't know the half of what he'd done.

In the few short hours they'd been in Asia, it seemed as if the whole world had gone mad. 'So now we've lost Cadfan. And he is to become what he feared and despised most - an idol.' Tory wanted to cry, but knew there was little point. 'It's down to you, my friend.' Tory passed their bounty to Ray. 'I'm fresh out of ideas.'

Ray had already whipped a module from the box and was examining it closely. 'I'll get on it right now.' He wandered off to his tool shed with the box under arm.

'I'll give you a hand.' Rhun went after him.

Brian looked across to his sister. He had to admit that he was exhausted from all the action they'd seen in the past few days, but Tory appeared far more jaded than he. She might have been immortal, but at present she looked more like a walking corpse. 'You, my girl, are going straight to a hot bath.' He grabbed hold of her to escort her there.

Tory wanted to protest, but the thought of a hot bath was far too wonderful. 'Brilliant idea.' She loosened his grip, patting his hand to assure him she would follow his instruction.

Brian felt powerless to help her as he watched Tory trudge out the door. It seemed so unfair that she always came through for everyone else, yet who was there who could possibly return the favour?

'Dad,' he stated resolutely.

19.

DWELLERS OF THE.

UNDERGROUND.

As Tory soaked in the tub she was mulling over the conversation she'd had with Taliesin on Faial. He had made it sound as though any attempt to rescue Rhiannon would prove futile, and he'd certainly not offered any suggestions to aid the cause. Nor, in their infinite wisdoms, had the High Merlin or her father gone out of their way to prevent Cadfan's sad plight. This lack of action led Tory to wonder if Doc was truly infallible, or if, for reasons yet unknown to her, the Gods actually wanted this 'end of the world' scenario to be played out.

'I am sick to death of graciously succumbing to the higher agenda.' She raised herself from her watery resting place and stepped out of the bath cubicle to retrieve a towel from the bed. 'I mean, give me one reason why I should even give a shit?'

Tory Alexander. You raise my expectations.

Startled by the comment, she covered herself with the towel before turning to see Maelgwn's free-floating etheric form at the other end of her quarters. She didn't dare move, fearing she was dreaming and would wake.

'My god, is that really you?'

Not God, but close, he granted. I am your husband, remember?

'Oh, aye!' She was overwhelmed by his presence and wanted so desperately to run and embrace him, but refrained knowing she could not.

Please, carry on, he smiled. My memory no longer does your naked form any justice.

'It is you.' She returned the smile, allowing her towel to drop to the floor.

Even before they'd married, Maelgwn had always had a sixth sense when it came to Tory's bath time and he enjoyed nothing more than catching her in the act.

'Your timing is still impeccable, I see.'

So it would seem. Maelgwn was mesmerised as he watched her approach. He reached out to touch her cheek.

Tory's eyes closed in anticipation, and she released a soft sigh of delight as his fingertips made contact.

You can feel that? He hadn't really expected that she would.

'Aye, it tingles,' she advised.

Interesting, Maelgwn thought, immediately pushing the observation aside. There was a reason behind his visit, and he felt he should deliver his report before he got sidetracked. Tory, I know how Cadwaladr was overlooked as an immortal.

'Oh, my love. How romantic!' Tory moved to dress herself. He was obviously here on official business and was bound to act accordingly.

Listen to me. He delayed her. Cadwallon has been doing some regression therapy, and he discovered that he was not first slain at the battle of Hexham, but in his crib, soon after birth.

'So Cadwallon's immortal gene was activated when Cadwaladr was conceived. I was right.' Tory took a seat on the bed, still in her naked state. 'But how did the heir to the throne of Gwynedd manage to die without one of his nursemaids finding out about it?'

His mother, Cadfan's good Queen, had a difficult time with birthing. The staff were well occupied trying to save her life at the time her newborn babe was being murdered.

'So you think it was purposeful, then?' Tory was intrigued.

We know it was, and with the very intention of keeping Cadwallon's son's immortality a secret from the family guardian.

'Taliesin,' Tory concluded. 'And who had such incredible foresight? Shamash.'

Correct. But he did have some help from - 'Inanna.' Tory guessed the other half of the equation, before Maelgwn had the chance to deliver it.

Correct again. He was astonished by what she'd managed to figure out on her own. Under hypnosis, Cadwallon recounted the whole affair.

'So it is the entity in whom Cadwaladr has placed his trust who is ultimately to blame for him being overlooked, not Taliesin.' Tory shook her head, thinking it ironic.

Yes, as usual, Taliesin is blameless. Maelgwn still felt guilty about banishing the Merlin from his kingdom all those years ago, and he'd never really had the chance to say sorry since. You know I regret accusing you both as I did.

'Maelgwn, you were ill,' Tory stated frankly to induce him to lose the guilt. 'Everyone knew that, including Taliesin, so forget it. Tell me instead of your second attempt to rescue my great-grandfather's technologist, Gibal. Did you succeed?' She lay across the bed to listen.

He was about to ask her how she knew the details of his last mission, but the sight of her laid out before him caused Maelgwn to wonder instead how he'd ever run a kingdom with Tory around to distract him.

I rescued parts of Gibal, he told her, but as Inanna has hidden the rest of him all over the galaxy, the all-important head is proving a little hard to find.

'She dismembered him!' Tory sat back up.

Aye, a vengeful gesture. Inanna believes Marduk dismembered her lover, Dumuzi.

'But Dumuzi was my grandfather's youngest brother.

Why would Marduk want to dismember him?'

Marduk swears it was not he who murdered his brother, but as the pieces of Dumuzi have never been found, he cannot prove his innocence.

Maelgwn floated down to lay beside her on the bed, and Tory wondered if he knew of their daughter's predicament - or if, indeed, he knew of their daughter at all. 'Have you done much regression work, Maelgwn?

Do you remember your past lives as Turan and Miles?'

Of course I do. They are my link to new experiences of you ... Turan, Miles, and all the others, they keep me sane.

All the others? She wondered at this, but let it pass.

'You know of our daughter then?'

Rhiannon.

He stated it as plainly as Miles himself would, which was a great relief to Tory. She didn't want to have to go into a long explanation. 'Cadwaladr is holding her captive with a NERGUZ module.'

What! Maelgwn's form went shooting backwards into the middle of the room. Why was I not told?

'Well, the impression I got from Taliesin was that the powers that be want her left were she is, as some sort of spy,' she explained. 'Her boyfriend, who just happens to be an electromechanical design engineer, is trying to figure a way around the voice command mechanism on the NERGUZ module. Rhun is helping him,' Tory added in an attempt to ease Maelgwn's distress.

His son's name brought the smile back to Maelgwn's face, but the news that the NERGUZ had reached his home planet saddened Maelgwn greatly. What are you planning to do?

Tory slid off the bed to dress herself, knowing a good-sense lecture was forthcoming. 'I'll wait and see what Ray comes up with, before I decide.'

Although he admired her guts, Maelgwn couldn't allow her to risk being captured. Tory please - 'Don't Tory please me. I know what you're going to say.' She pulled her singlet on over her underwear with such force she almost tore it. 'I am not going to leave our daughter at that bastard's discretion. You do know who he is, don't you?'

Maelgwn was puzzled by the question. Aye, Cadwaladr.